


jonathan crane, romance extraordinaire

by kalesmay



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Anniversary, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, i hate the different spellings for eds name smh, idk it just exists
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 20:36:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11043858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalesmay/pseuds/kalesmay
Summary: Jonathan Crane is a great many things. A romantic is not one of them.





	jonathan crane, romance extraordinaire

**Author's Note:**

> scriddler is that good stuff. @dicktigers on tumblr.

Jonathan Crane was a great many things. A romantic was not one of them.

Of all the affronts Edward has faced, from being brainwashed by Pamela to battered by the Batman, none of them come close to the one happening now. He could deal with his bones being broken, even his will, but his heart? It was a bleak day in Gotham. "I can _not_ believe this,"

Jonathan doesn't look up. "Edward, you're being dramatic."

Edward gasps. "I am not! It is our anniversary, and you're just sitting there! Doing work!" It's not that Edward was a drama queen, like Dent said, or that he was an overgrown manchild who needed constant attention, like Pamela said. It was just that he expected a little more from his partner on their anniversary. Honestly, it wasn't hard to at the very least say _happy anniversary_ , something Jon hadn't even done; he'd just grunted into his coffee after Edward had said it to him cheerily, then locked himself in his study without so much as an _I love you_. To be fair, Jonathan wasn't romantic at the best of times, but this wasn't just another day, for God's sake!

"What would you rather me be doing?" Jonathan's voice oozes boredom.

"Other than me?" To Jonathan's credit, he didn't react further than a rosy blush on the tops of his ears. "Take me to dinner, tell me you love me, at least _acknowledge_ that it's our anniversary!" Edward really doesn't believe this is quite the ordeal Jonathan is making it out to be.

Jonathan takes off his wire rim glasses and sets them on his papers, rubbing the indents left on the bridge of his nose. "Edward Nigma, light of my life, my sole reason for waking, I am _busy_. Please, make yourself scarce or tolerable until I'm finished." Edward resists the urge to either punch Jon or rip up his papers, instead sniffing and stalking from the room. Scarce? He can do scarce.

•••

"He just doesn't _care_ about me!" He says plaintively, gesturing wildly with his hand. Selina plucks the glass from it deftly, to avoid another spilling incident. Edward hardly notices.

"You know that's not true, Eddie. Jon cares about you a lot," Selina soothes, setting his glass down and placing a hand on his knee. "He just doesn't know how to show it."

Edward threw his hands into the air. "He doesn't show it at all! Jon doesn't pay me any attention; the only way I know he tolerates me is the fact that he has yet to infect me with his infernal fear gas!" As prone to being unreasonable as Edward is, he doesn't think this is one of those times. Selina rises, patting his knee and throwing out an "I'll be right back", disappearing into her bedroom. Edward continues to sit on the couch, arms crossed, resolutely _not pouting_. He counts the stitches in the sleeves of his lilac button down, his green suit jacket having been discarded over the back of the couch almost as soon as he had walked in.

Selina putters around her master suite, humming softly and cooing gently to her cats. Sometime after Edward counts 1583 stitches, Selina emerges, in a long red dress that brushes the tops of her black heels, long neck wrapped in pearls. Edward sits up, eyes narrowed. "And where are _you_ going, looking like _that_?"

She tucks a short strand of hair behind her ear with a jangle of her bracelets. "Dinner date. Bruce is taking me out." Edward points at her accusingly, eyes narrowed.

"You watched me wallow in misery over my abysmal love life, knowing you were going to be taken out immediately after by the Batman! Unbelievable." Edward isn't shocked by the fact that beautiful, dangerous Selina had a date with Wayne, just that it was his anniversary and yet he was in Kyle's loft, drinking his numerous Jon related sorrows away. Selina hums.

"Come on, Eddie. I have to finish my makeup; if someone knocks on the door, get it." Selina sat down at the vanity in her bedroom, her back still visible to a sulking Eddie. Eventually, he bores of watching her apply rouge to her cheeks and goes back to counting stitches. He doesn't get far before there's a trio of sharp taps against the door; he's already rising when Selina reminds him, "Door!"

He stretches his back out, wincing at the series of pops. "I got it!" Edward makes his way to the door, opening it with a certain lack of gusto. He doesn't much care to see Bruce Wayne right now. Fortunately for him, that's not who is at the door.

_Un_ fortunately, it's Jonathan, who he wants to see even less, looking unsure and annoyed and apologetic all in one. Edward, of course, promptly slams the door in his face.

"Selina! You didn't tell me your building had a _vermin problem_ ," Edward hopes his voice carries to the other side of the door; he's feeling unusually prickly. "Why, there's a rat right outside your door! Don't worry, I won't let it in." He frowns at her approaching form thunderously, and retakes his place on the couch.

Shooting him a look, Selina opens the door and smiles wanly at Jon. Even in her heels, she's almost an entire foot shorter than him, her dark head only reaching to right above his bony shoulder. If Edward wasn't so annoyed, he would find it comical. As his bad attitude stands, he pretends not to notice the way the sleeves on Jon's white button down are rolled up to the elbows, or how the top buttons are undone to expose the almost delicate line of his collar bone. He's mad, dammit, _upset_ , and he's not going to let Jon's stupid face change that. Determined, he crosses his arms and turns his nose up in the other direction. In his periphery, he sees Selina roll her eyes but grab Jon by the collar, dragging him down to her level and hissing, "Fix this, Crane," before releasing him and turning to Edward. "Play nice, lock the door on your way out, you've got a key." She sweeps out the door, leaving a cautious Jon with an irritated Edward.

"Edward," Jon starts, taking a step further into the room. Edward stares resolutely at the gaudy crystal chandelier hanging above him. "Would you like me to say that I'm sorry?"

He doesn't stamp his foot, but it's a near thing. Instead he says incredulously, snapping his head towards Jonathan, "Would I like -- no, Jon, I want you to _be_ sorry!" So typical of Jon, to prioritize his work and only desire to appease Edward when his ' _tantrums_ ' became an inconvenience. Jon regards him, patiently and impassive the way only Jon is. Edward doesn't like being looked at like that, doesn't like feeling like he can't affect Jonathan, but there's an intent present in the gaze that quells him all the same.

Jonathan shifts a little on his feet, scuffed brown shoes rustling against Selina's luxurious carpet. "Well, I'm _not_ sorry," he says honestly, "I had plans to take you to dinner eventually. However, I do apologize for the way it made you feel."

And really, there's only so much Edward can take from an overgrown backwoods bumpkin on his own anniversary. "Crane, I don't give a _damn_ about _dinner_! Reservations at the Iceberg that you only got because Ozzie is fond of me are hardly worthy of forgiveness, but that's not why I'm upset, you _idiot_!"

Jonathan blinks, looking genuinely puzzled. That alone sets off another wave of irritation low in Edward's stomach; he doesn't even know why Edward is mad, which is essentially the problem. "Then what _are_ you upset for?" Edward growls and rises from his seat, balling the hand that isn't pointing menacingly at Jon into a fist.

"I am _upset_ , you tumbleweed, because you couldn't spare _two seconds_ to look up from your infernal science project to acknowledge my existence in some way other than to call me a bother! It's our _anniversary_ , you dolt, and I didn't expect a lot from you, but my God, is a heartfelt ' _good morning_ ' that difficult?" However nice it would've been, Edward would never in a million years expect diamonds and roses and candles, but is base appreciation that outlandish a request? When your partner is Jonathan Crane, apparently it is.

Jon stuffs his hands into the pockets of his slacks, regarding Edward from behind the lenses of his glasses. "You know I'm not good at...this, and I presume that both of us can regard this as a learning experience. I do apologize for my actions and how they...hurt your feelings?" Edward huffs at the facetious nature of hhis analysis of the situation.

Really, he could fight for the rest of the night (and it's happened before; the pair of them were nothing if not stubborn, and arguments have been known to have a certain longevity to them), but it was his anniversary, and Edward was tired. "I accept your apology," he sighs, not really meaning it, but he wants to. Jonathan knows he doesn't really mean it, too, and seems grateful for the concession. In a rare show of tactility, Jon opens his arms to invite Edward into a hug. Almost more out of surprise at the gesture rather than a desire for physical affection, Edward steps forward and leans into the touch, Jonathan resting his sharp chin on the conventionally located top of Edward's head.

"Dinner?" Jonathan inquires, voice low, thin arms wound around Edward's shoulders. Edward hums.

"You know how Ozzie gets if you don't make your reservation, we'd better go." He was reluctant to move, however, and Jon made no moves to do so either. It was a rare moment of contentment, as delicate as glass, and Edward wasn't in a hurry to shatter it.

It always does, though, and they separated, Jon dropping a featherlight kiss to the crown of Edward's head, and they exit the apartment, fingers twined.

Somewhere, taking off her Loubiton pumps in Wayne Manor, Selina Kyle was no doubt unbearably smug, like a cat that got the cream. Edward found he didn't much mind. He smiles up at Jonathan, who glances down and doesn't smile, but his whole face relaxes, eyes crinkling at the corners. As far as anniversaries go, it could be worse.

Jon still owes him, though. Maybe a new tie? Edward has a whole year to think about it. 


End file.
